Bill Davis Racing

I think we should all give this speculation about NASCAR Sprint Cup teams adding one more car a break. At this point, it's pretty much a certainty who will be expanding next season and who won't be. With the silly season starting earlier and earlier every year, the 2009 driver lineup will, in all likelihood, be finalized by August 1.

I understand that the last time I played out the silly season, I made a lot of inaccurate predictions - had I only waited one more stinkin' day, I could've been 15 for 15. One more stinkin' day till Martin-to-HMS broke!

But I digress. The point of this article isn't to lament over predictions I made a couple days ago, so much as it is to start revising my predictions. This article centers on the teams that have been rumored to expand in 2009. Some of the claims are accurate, but some are simply a load of crap.

So, without further ado, here's what you need to know about how much more crowded NASCAR's top division will get next year:

Richard Childress Racing WILL expand

We've known about this one for a long time. The car will be #33 and carry Cheerios sponsorship. Rumors have placed David Reutimann, Aric Almirola, and Scott Wimmer in the car, but in the wake of Mark Martin's projected arrival at Hendrick Motorsports, the newest name linked to the drive is Casey Mears.

The logic behind this seems to be that Mears is an attractive driver to General Mills, which has the potential to snag a future star from rival cereal manufacturer Kellogg's. While Mears' 2008 season suggests anything but star potential, he appears to have the edge based on experience and the win column.

Bill Davis Racing WILL expand

BDR gives expansion the old college try every season, and 2008 will be no different. For one, the US Army sponsorship is rumored to be heading to BDR. For two, it's becoming more and more apparent that Scott Riggs and/or State Water Heaters will not be back at Haas CNC Racing after this season, and as Toyota's #2 team (given its extensive history with the manufacturer, all the way back to when it first developed Tundras to go Craftsman Truck racing), BDR will have the resources to accomodate both if necessary.

Not only is the Army a past sponsor of BDR with Bill Lester, development driver Michael Annett appears to be just the face they're looking to market. It's still entirely possible that the Army wants to put its weight behind Aric Almirola at DEI, but given that organization's relative insecurity, the Army may want to jump ship. Annett should be in Cup full-time by 2010. The Army would only have to sit through one mid-pack year with Dave Blaney in 2009, not unlike its many mid-pack years with Joe Nemechek in the early 2000s.

Either way, BDR will bring the #23 Toyota to Daytona with the intention of competing in all 36 races. The only question is how long the car will last.

Hall of Fame Racing WILL NOT expand

Early in the season, HOF signed top young driver Brad Coleman to a development contract with the intention of running him full-time in Sprint Cup in 2009. However, a subpar Nationwide Series season from Coleman, no word on prospective sponsorship, and current Cup driver J.J. Yeley's failure to keep the team's #96 car in the top 35 in owners' points suggest that HOF will not run two cars in 2009.

Rather, the writing appears to be on the wall for Yeley, who may be replaced if Coleman does move up to Cup in 2009.

Team Red Bull WILL NOT expand

When the Martin rumors broke, his alternate landing spot appeared to be at Team Red Bull, as a mentor for Scott Speed in a third Sprint Cup car.

It simply won't happen.

Not only is Speed not ready to drive the Sprint Cup car, he hasn't yet had a full season of Craftsman Truck experience. To even suggest throwing him into the fire before giving him a 25-race look-see over the course of an entire year is a disastrous proposition.

Meanwhile, with Martin apparently set at HMS, Mike Skinner quite happy at BDR, and no other veteran driver readily available as a mentor, the idea of even splitting a season with Speed isn't likely.

There you have it folks: We'll only see two more cars from established teams in the Sprint Cup garage come Daytona next February... and potentially only one at Fontana the next weekend.

Much ado about nothing!

According to current crew chief Greg Zipadelli, Tony Stewart sounds like a man committed to greener pastures in 2009. The driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing is unsatisfied with his current team, according to rumors that broke at Talladega weeks ago, and is looking at potential ownership opportunities for the 2009 season.

Much like the silly season last year revolved around Dale Earnhardt Jr., this year's silly season revolves around the wants and needs of Stewart.

Earnhardt found the performance and leadership he sought at Hendrick Motorsports. Stewart may find his potential ownership opportunity at Haas CNC Racing, a mid-pack team currently struggling with little sponsorship and low-level drivers.

The entire silly season revolves around whether Stewart jumps on the opportunity. Does he want to stick with the top Gibbs team, which has provided him with decent cars (at worst) all season, despite relegating him to third driver status based on performance? Or does Stewart want to risk becoming the next Michael Waltrip, an owner-driver stretched too thin by the demands of running a multi-car team while simultaneously trying to qualify for races?

Below is a potential synopsis of what may occur if Stewart makes the leap into ownership.

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1. Tony Stewart Racing formed

Stewart buys into Haas CNC Racing, assuming majority ownership from current managing partner Joe Custer. Keeping the team at two cars, his presence alone is enough to attract plenty of potential sponsors; Stewart manages to lure Bass Pro Shops away from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to sponsor his #70 Chevrolet.

Unsure about sponsorship on the #12 Penske Racing Dodge he currently drives, and noting that UPS has made the move to TSR, Ryan Newman also joins the fledgling team, assuming the drivers' seat of the #66 Chevrolet.

2. Hendrick Motorsports picks up Martin Truex Jr.

With Bass Pro Shops leaving DEI for TSR, Martin Truex Jr. has no sponsor for the #1 Chevrolet he drives for Teresa Earnhardt. With the #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet at Hendrick Motorsports underperforming, and with close friend Dale Earnhardt Jr. already driving for HMS, Truex replaces Casey Mears
in the seat.

This seems like a natural fit, as the #5 and #88 teams at Hendrick work together, much as the #24 and #48 teams of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson do.

3. Penske Racing replaces Newman with Stremme

Longtime Dodge driver David Stremme signs with Penske Racing to replace Newman in the #12 Dodge. Currently a Penske test driver, Stremme ranks ninth in Nationwide Series points in 15 starts for Rusty Wallace Racing.

Penske convinces Kodak to move up and foot the bill for the entire season on the hood of Stremme's car. With the Alltel brand being phased out after Verizon's purchase of the company, Penske needs a company to step up for the 2009 season.

Chase Austin replaces Stremme full-time in Rusty Wallace Inc.'s #64 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series.

4. US Army, State Water Heaters join Bill Davis Racing

With DEI a sinking ship, the US Army joins Bill Davis Racing as a sponsor for its #22 Toyota. State Water Heaters also joins the team as a sponsor for the #23 Toyota.

Popular BDR driver Dave Blaney, the first driver to ever win a pole for Toyota, is retained to drive the #22, while Scott Riggs joins State Water Heaters (his current sponsor) at the #23 team.

5. Richard Childress Racing signs David Reutimann

David Reutimann joins RCR as the driver of the #33 Cheerios Chevrolet, beating out Scott Wimmer and Aric Almirola for the ride. He leaves Michael Waltrip Racing, which lost sponsor UPS to TSR. Reutimann joins a powerhouse stable that also fields cars for Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, and Kevin Harvick.

In the Nationwide Series, Bowyer returns to the #2 BB&T Chevrolet, and Scott Wimmer takes the #29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet over full-time. Reutimann, Burton, and Stephen Leicht alternate driving duties in the #21 Chevrolet, which runs a part-time schedule as sponsorship permits.

6. Michael Waltrip Racing cuts down to two Sprint Cup teams

With UPS leaving the #44 team, MWR signs Office Depot as the sponsor for its second car. The team then shifts Michael McDowell over from the vacant #00 to the #44. Michael Waltrip's #55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota remains intact.

McDowell also replaces Reutimann in the team's Nationwide Series car, the #99 Aaron's Toyota, at Sprint Cup companion events.

7. Dale Earnhardt Inc. sees complete overhaul

Paul Menard returns to the #15 Menards Chevrolet, but everything else at DEI is different for 2009. Aric Almirola moves to the #1 Chevrolet, which receives increased financial backing from current DEI sponsors Steak-Umm, Cub Cadet, and Freightliner.

Mark Martin shares the #8 Chevrolet with Regan Smith, this time with the backing of Principal Financial Group for the season. The #01 team is folded. BDR attempts to buy the team's owners' points for its #23 car, but NASCAR denies the request, citing the four-team ownership cap.

8. Joe Gibbs replaces Tony Stewart with...

This one's a no-brainer. With Stewart gone, Gibbs takes a chance on Joey Logano, the superstar of the future, as the new driver of the #20 Home Depot Toyota.

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It's easy to see why Stewart's foray into ownership could have such an effect on the entire NASCAR garage - in this fictional synopsis alone, 15 teams (#1, #5, #8, #12, #20, #22, #23, #33, #44, #66, #70, and cars #21, #29, #64, and #99 in the Nationwide Series) saw the direct effects of the potential move.

Expect big, big changes all around if Stewart makes the leap of faith.

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In NASCAR its easy to know who the haves and the have-nots are.

It was announced this week that Dave Blaney’s #22 Bill Davis Racing Toyota was losing Caterpillar as its primary sponsor. Cat has been the primary sponsor with BDR for the past ten years of its seventeen in the sport. The team remains in the 29th spot in the Sprint Cup Series Owners’ points. Veteran crew chief Tommy Baldwin has the team moving in the right direction, picking up 10 championship point positions over the course of five events and has posted two top-10 finishes and six finishes of 22nd or better in the past eight races.

“Caterpillar and Bill Davis Racing have enjoyed a long and successful partnership throughout the last 10 seasons, and we are proud of everything we’ve accomplished together, including wins in both the Daytona 500 and Southern 500,” stated Team Owner Bill Davis. “This is an exciting time for our team, and we are looking forward to the future.”

In a much publicized coup earlier RCR was able to wrangle the General Mills sponsorship away from long time partner Petty Enterprises. That General Mills deal will adorn the new 4th team at RCR with an, as yet, un-named driver. Now securing Caterpillar to replace AT&T on the #31 Jeff Burton ride, puts RCR on solid financial footing. NASCAR mandated that AT&T would only be allowed to remain on the 31 car through the end of the 2008 season.

“To represent a well-known global brand like Caterpillar is an honor,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. “Cat products have played a big part over the decades in construction projects at RCR, Childress Vineyards and Yadkin River Angus. Jeff and I look forward to meeting the Cat dealers and customers who loyally follow NASCAR racing.”

With dollars harder and harder to come by, RCR has moved into as solid of a financial situation as any major player in motorsports. Other big name owners have had challenges securing primary sponsorship for the 2008 season. Yates Racing has had trouble filling the hood and quarter panels of its race cars this season. The #38 of David Gilliland has had backing from freecreditreport.com for much of the recent schedule, but didn’t start the season as primary sponsor and most likely is not the biggest benefactor in the garage area. Teammate, Travis Kvapil’s #28 has been void of sponsorship much of the season. These are high profile, storied history, race teams and money is tough to come by.

Robby Gordon will race at Infineon Speedway this weekend with no sponsorship at all. Gordon is no slouch on a road course. The probability of him running well and near the front all day are high. And running near the front means TV time. TV time translates into payback for a sponsor; yet RGM cannot find anyone to invest.

Good luck to Bill Davis Racing trying to replace Cat on the #22, all the while trying to find cash to expand to a full-time two car team in 2009. Could we be seeing the start of more outside investment in a long time NASCAR team, or could team mergers be on the horizon?

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler/On Pit Row/Bench Racing Productions

This time last year, Bill Davis Racing fielded two Caterpillar Toyota Camrys at Infineon.  Now, the two organizations will part ways after the 2008 Sprint Cup season, ending a 10 year partnership that has spanned 3 different drivers.  

The move comes as AT&T is forced out of sponsoring a car in NASCAR's highest series by the labyrinth of legal battles associated with Sprint's exclusive sponsorship.  AT&T must leave the series after the 2008 season, leaving veteran driver Jeff Burton and legendary owner Richard Childress without a sponsor for the #31 car.  

CAT, current sponsor of BDR's #22 driven by Dave Blaney, jumped at the opportunity to sponsor a car with the experience and financial backing of the Childress organization, which also employs perennial contenders Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer.  Jim Parker, vice president of Caterpillar’s North American Commercial Division, said that "joining Richard Childress and his team matches two organizations that share common values, as well as high levels of success," adding that he was "confident this new partnership will excite Caterpillar's customers, dealers and employees."  Does that mean that CAT and BDR don't have common values?  Or that they don't both have high levels of success?  Maybe if they had some more sponsor money, the level of success would be higher?  But I digress...

Davis remained optimistic about his team's prospects going into next season.  "This is an exciting time for our team," Davis said, "and we are looking forward to the future."  C'mon Bill.  You're not fooling anyone.  You know that not having a sponsor is not an "exciting time."  It wasn't an "exciting time" when you pulled Jacques Villeneuve from the 27 car because he failed to find an appropriate canadian sponsor.  Doug Yates and crew haven't had an "exciting time" playing musical paint schemes all year, piecing together week-to-week deals with anyone and everyone who wants a piece of the decal action.  Now instead of trying to find a sponsor for one of his teams, Davis is stuck holding the bag for both teams, as another longtime partnership ends with a sponsor seeking greener pastures, ala M&M/Mars, NAPA, UPS, and Budweiser.

And people wonder why the little guy never wins in NASCAR anymore...